born Dec. 18, 1888, Lewisham, London, Eng.
died Nov. 17, 1971, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
British actress.
After her London debut in 1906, she performed in musicals and dramas, including The Importance of Being Earnest (1911). She was comanager of London's Playhouse Theatre (191727) and then its sole manager (192733). Her appearance in The Second Mrs. Tanqueray (1922) made her a star. She made her U.S. stage debut in The Shining Hour (1934) and later acted in Relative Values (1951) and The Chalk Garden (1955). She personified British poise in U.S. films such as Now, Voyager (1942) and Separate Tables (1958).